


At Your Service

by SuchaHag



Category: Game of Thrones RPF, Scottish Actor RPF
Genre: Angst, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, Scotland, Slooooow burn, Smut, The boat makes a cameo, eventual sailing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-12
Updated: 2018-11-02
Packaged: 2019-04-22 00:39:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 20,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14296998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuchaHag/pseuds/SuchaHag
Summary: After finding herself out of a job, Alice decides to take a risk.  Will it pay off or will she get her heart broken as usual?🌅





	1. The End Of An Era

**Author's Note:**

> Not beta'd forgive any typos.

She stared at her boss of 25 years in disbelief, “the company's been sold?” She asked. 

Fred rubbed his eyes wearily, “Yes sold, our positions are being eliminated.” 

“Eliminated,” she repeated.

“Eliminated, and on the bright side Alice, we are getting two weeks pay for every year we have worked so with our untaken vacation time we're going to be paid for a year.”

Alice smiled at that,  _ at least we were being taken care of _ . But this company, she loved this company, she loved working for this company and the people. They avoided being bought out so many times that when the rumors started that they were on the auction block again, she only half listened. If only she were more prepared. 

Two weeks later, she and several of her coworkers left the building with banker's boxes full of their personal effects. Though she had a year’s severance pay coming, Alice didn't want to sit idly she wanted to work again. She didn't need anything fancy, she didn't need to make what she used to make, but the thought of just sitting didn't bode well for her. Perhaps something part-time that would allow her to travel, that would allow her to write and explore some of her hobbies more. She neglected  _ so _ much with this job. She worked long hours, traveled here and there setting up exhibits and working with so many different customers. Her social life was in ruins, most of her friends were online and she hasn't had any type of relationship in months. She had plants that lasted longer than some of the men in her life, but she also understood relationships don't survive when one party is on the go all the time. Her relationship was work. Now she had all the time in the world because work had ended its relationship with her. 

 

She was barely at looking at the job boards, she did a few preliminary searches but it was half-hearted. She could go anywhere. She could go anywhere in the world, the only thing tying her here was her sister and she had her life of her own. Alice didn't say much on social media, she didn't want anyone to pity her because they knew that her job was her life. Procrastinating more, she went on a few of her favorite Tumblr pages seeing if there was any new news about her favorite actor who is now filming in apparently secret locations... nothing. The fandom was going crazy because there wasn't even confirmation he  _ was _ filming, he didn't stay in one place - he lived on a boat so he could literally anywhere that boat could take him. No one has seen him for months.  She laughed,  _ maybe I should go where he is _ . It was common knowledge the area he normally docked at. She opened the job search site and clicked the international listings, pulling up Scotland. Then she searched “Troon”, narrowing it down. Several pages of job listings came up, much to her surprise. She scanned the list and suddenly she saw it. She sucked in her breath so hard, she became light-headed. The marina restaurant where he docked was hiring. She clicked on the listing, part-time waitress and bar back. She did have experience as both when she when she was in college and she certainly knew how to deal with the public from her trade show work and exhibit design. Did she dare?

“Fuck it,” she clicked the online application and made note of the contact information. She emailed a note, explaining that she was relocating and not to dismiss her American address. 

She searched for rooms to let and found several that were affordable. If the folks at Scott's wanted to give her a chance, she could leave immediately.  She called her sister, who thought she was insane. But, she did agree to keep an eye on her townhouse and help with keeping track of finances in case there were issues. “I didn't even get the job yet, Luanne,” Alice laughed

“Be prepared though, you may have to leave quickly if they want to give you a chance.”

Heeding Luanne’s words later, Alice packed enough to get her through two weeks before doing laundry. Two large wheeled suitcases were at the ready. She also chose several items and put them on the bed in her spare room, Luanne could pack and ship these if necessary.  The next day she stalked around her townhouse anxiously. At 11 am she looked at her email and felt her stomach lurch when she saw a new message from Scott's. Her hands were shaking as she opened it, her heart was thudding as she was reading it. When she finished, she put her head between her knees. They thought it was a novel and fun idea to give her a go. As long as she complied with labour and residency regulations, she could work as a waitress. They agreed only to the barback after they observed her in action. She emailed them back immediately. After some back and forth, they settled on a date. The rest of the day was spent making travel plans and contacting the room listings.  There was a perfect place, literally steps from Scott's, it was available and she could stay for two weeks. 

She called Luanne and told her she was leaving in two days.  They agreed to meet for dinner and discuss logistics for back home. 

“You  _ are _ insane. You know that, right?” Luanne rolled her eyes at Alice. 

“I need adventure, I need to do it. I need crazy.”

“I know what else you need,” LuAnne smirked, “I know who lives there, Alice. Rory McCann. I'm not stupid, I remember the boat incident.”

Alice rolled her eyes  “That was a lark. I was outbid immediately with my puny low-ball bid. Fine! He lives there part-time. But rumor has it, that filming will be going all Summer. I may be kicked out of the country by then if I'm there too long.”

“But there's always that chance…”

“Of course I'm playing the odds, maybe I will meet him. What harm is in that?”

“Don't get in trouble, Alice.” Luanne was serious.

“I'm a good girl!” She gave her sister a wicked grin and they both burst out laughing.


	2. A New Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alice makes her way to Troon. Can she adjust?

**Chapter 2**

Alice may have worked all over the US, but she was never on a plane for longer than 5 hours. Flying overseas was an experience that she wasn’t sure she liked. “Next time, I am splurging on a better class,” she grumbled to herself. She was crabby by the time she got to Glasgow and she still had about an hour to go before she got to Troon. She sat on the train with her suitcases and she cursed her decision to pack so much. Wheels or not, lugging everything around was tiresome. She managed to close her eyes for a moment, being rocked by the train. It was a short ride by taxi to the room she was renting for two weeks. She texted the owner from aboard the train. An older woman was waiting for her with a key and a wide smile. 

“Welcome! I’m Sarah, it’s lovely to meet you.”

“Likewise! It’s so good to finally be here.” 

Sarah let them in and helped carry a suitcase to her room. She showed Alice around and even gave her a folder of local shops and restaurants that may be helpful in getting settled in. “Even though the apartment is only available for two weeks, it will be available again later, in case you need it.”

“That is so kind of you, Sarah! Thank you.”

Sarah left and Alice got settled in, it was already night time. She did go to the window and looked out. She saw the water and it took her breath away,  _ here’s to a new adventure _ .

Troon was quiet. Especially compared to the hustle and bustle of her small town outside of Chicago. Alice slept great and woke up feeling refreshed and not as jet-lagged as she thought she would be. She did resolve to take it easy today and nap when her body told her to. It was still chilly, so Alice showered and changed into a light sweater, jeans and comfortable boots before heading out. She thought it would be a good idea to pop over to the restaurant and introduce herself and maybe have a look around a little bit to get a feel of the place. She was at the marina in moments and soon was walking through the front door of Scotts. It was great they served breakfast, she decided that she would eat here too. She went up to the hostess station and introduced herself. “Alice! We've been expecting you, welcome!” She was shown to a table with a view of the harbor and given a menu to look over. Soon she felt like she was being watched, she looked up and saw a cluster of staff near the station. She waved and called out, “Hi, come on over - I don't bite.” Soon she was introducing herself to the morning front of house.  _ These folks sure do seem friendly  _ she said happily to herself. Soon the staff scattered after she gave her order and a man approached her, with a soft smile on his face. 

“Alice? Hi, I'm Marc, the manager.”

Alice stood and shook his hand, “Alice Stewart, at your service.” She sat again and motioned to the empty chair across from her. “Would you like to join me for a moment?”

“Don't Mind If I Do, I have a minute” he sat. “So what did you order for your first meal here?”

“The eggs royale, it sounds delicious.” 

“Great choice!” They went on to talk about her job expectations starting hours. “After you finish eating come see me and I'll give you a tour and your uniform if you'd like.”

“That would be perfect, thanks!”. She smiled.

After she ate she got the grand tour of the restaurant and two sets of uniforms. Then she got a tour of the marina itself from the boson in charge of the boats. She was talking about how she was renting a room for two weeks when he mentioned that there was a person with a restored fishing trawler that rented rooms. “Even closer then where you are now.” he smiled and pointed to the boat, “Come on let's go see if he's around, I bet he would love to show you around. He's really friendly.” Alice was taken aback a bit but she decided to go along, who knows maybe it would be cool. They went to the trawler but nobody was there, he left a note and told Alice he would be in touch. 

For the rest of the day, Alice walked around town checking out where she was going to be living for the time being. It was more modern than she expected but with a small-town feel at the same time. She had a feeling she was going to like it here. 

 

She went back to Scotts for an early dinner and to gauge how busy it got. After a certain point, it did get pretty busy, it was apparent it was a local favorite and people who used the ferry stopped at Scotts too. She did notice that she had to pay attention carefully to what the customers were saying because even though it was English the accents were vastly different than the Midwestern United States. She noticed that some people cocked their heads when she talked to them, so the misunderstandings were going to be mutual. After while she bid everyone goodnight and headed back to her room. She read a little before she went to sleep. Tomorrow was a big day, she was going to start training during the lunch shift.

Training went better than she expected. Even though she hasn't waited tables for years, Alice fell right back into it. As the shift went on she was able to take a few tables on her own and she did pretty well. Marc said she was mainly going to do the breakfast and lunch shifts because dinner was reserved for senior waitresses. But she would have the opportunity to bar-back at night and maybe some fill-in tables if needed. 

A week went by and she found a good routine. She already had customers asking for her by name and she knew her way around the bar well enough to bar-back once a night and fill in for breaks. She knew people wanted to have her wait on them because she was a novelty in their eyes. The local folks got a kick out of her American accent and always asked her a ton of questions. Most of them weren't exactly polite, but she laughed and answered them anyway. Everyone she worked with was very nice also. It was comforting to be somewhere where there was no drama, the exhibit world and trade shows had drama around every corner. This was a walk in the park compared to that pressure. She heard from the owner of the trawler and was invited to come by to have a look around. The owner said it was a slow season for rentals so Alice could stay there for the next month if she wanted for half the asking price. Alice jumped at the opportunity the only thing she had to do was take care of her own housekeeping and meals. That would not be a problem. Things were looking up and she was settling in nicely. Alice should have known better because the next week it was all going to be different.


	3. Daft Yankee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alice screws up while bartending. Perfect timing, Alice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still un-beta'd  
> Please forgive typos and mistakes.

On Tuesday night Alice was at work acting as a fill-in waitress and bar-back. She was studying the dinner menus and getting to know the dinner service so she could pick up more tables. Marc came over and informed her that the bartender was leaving for the night because he  was not feeling well and could she fill in? She didn't think it would be an issue, Tuesday nights were the slowest, so the place wasn't too crowded and most drink orders were for bottles of wine and drafts. Something she could handle no problem, especially if Marc was going to be helping when needed.

About an hour into her shift as bartender one of the waiters came in a bit harried. “We got a regular settling in, I need a double Glenny scotch, straight up in a rocks glass” 

“Sure thing” she smiled and went to the scotch bottles on the shelf. Strange that he called Glenlivet “Glenny” he's never done that before. She took a quick look at the other bottles and there was nothing there called Glenny so she concluded that he definitely  _ did _ mean Glenlivet. She poured a double and put it on a tray. Iain came and picked up the tray, “Thanks for getting this so quickly Alice he's in a sour mood so this should cheer him up a bit.” 

Moments later she heard of raised voice from the back dining room and Iain returned with an empty glass and a stained shirt. 

“What happened, did you spill it?” Alice gasped.

“No,” Iain said angrily “you gave me the wrong scotch. He slammed it down after barley a sip and it went everywhere.” 

“You said Glenny, so I assumed it was Glenlivet. Iain I'm so sorry.”

“Glenny? I said 'Venie” as in Balvenie!” Iain was looking at her like she was an idiot. 

“Balvenie?” Now she was confused, what the hell was Iain talking about? 

Just then, Marc came in, not happy. “Where the hell is the right scotch? Big’s mood is not getting any better!”

Alice felt the blood rush from her face.  _ Big? Oooooh FUCK. This was not good _ . “Marc, it's my fault. I misunderstood Iain. But even knowing the right name, I haven't seen that name with the other scotch bottles.”

“Shit, we never showed you. He grabbed a key from next to the register and unlocked a cabinet off to the side, there...next to a few other bottles was the Balvenie. “Alice, it's not your fault”

“Yes it is, I knew that Ian said something I didn't recognize, I should have asked for clarification. Now a customer is mad.” She said while pouring a generous double. Marc grabbed the glass and hustle back to the dining room. “Iain, I will cover the cost of that glass and the wasted Glenlivet. In fact I'll cover this customers drinks for tonight.”

Iain looked at her surprised, “Are you sure? Big may drink you out of a paycheck tonight.” 

“Then that's my issue, not yours or his. No one should be getting mad while I'm bartender, especially for my mistake. I'll take the hit”

Just then Marc came back. “He's a bit happier,” He looked at Alice ”stay clear of the back dining room tonight.” He smiled apologetically to her before he and Iain left the bar, leaving Alice alone. She felt her eyes fill up with tears and the bridge of her nose stung something fierce. She reached for some paper towels behind the bar and tried desperately to keep her chin from wobbling. She knew who 'Big’ was, she read it in a couple articles that that was his nickname. Her first fuck up and it had to be Rory McCann. She would have laughed at the irony if her heart wasn't so broken. She also read somewhere that he had a little bit of a temper.  _ At least he didn't throw the drink at Iain, or come in here and throw the drink at me.  _ But no matter the outcome Alice was not only mortified, she was deflated. There were only a few more customers after that and they were wine orders with dinner. The barstools stayed relatively empty. Iain came back once to get another scotch that Alice knew she was going to be paying for. She poured another generous double and sadly pushed the glass towards him. “Did you at least tell him how sorry I was?” 

“Yes.” Ian replied, “he asked how Marc could hire a daft yank.”

Alice gasped and the tears reappeared. She quickly looked down and concentrated on the glasses she was washing. She was not going to cry in front of a co-worker especially since she prided herself I'm being drama-free. “Could you have Marc come in here to relieve me for a few moments? I need to use the washroom.”

“Sure thing Alice. Don't let this bother you, he always starts off rough when he gets home it's like he's so desperate to relax after a stressful time away that anything that goes wrong sets them off. He'll be a sweet old bear in no time.”

_ Probably not to the daft Yank  _ Alice thought glumly.  When Marc appeared soon after, Alice grabbed her purse and slipped into the bathroom. She managed to freshen up a bit and touch up her makeup. She looked in the mirror with determination  _ no more tears tonight Alice _ . On her way back to the bar she couldn't help it, she had to look. She got close to the corner and peered around into the dining room. He was sitting alone in the corner facing her. He was wearing plaid button-down shirt, jeans and boots - he also had a full beard. She couldn't take her eyes off him and she could feel her nerves go on edge as her heart started beating faster. She was just about to disappear around the corner again when he looked up and stared right at her. Her breath caught in her throat and she was sure her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates before she retreated and hurried back into the bar.  _ Great, daft and a peeper. Rory's gonna love me. _ She muttered to herself sarcastically. “Thanks Marc,” she told her manager “sorry I mucked tonight up.” 

“It'll be fine. I explained, he'll love you in no time,”Marc smiled “we enjoy having you here, soon he will too.” 

Alice gave Marc a tentative smile,  _ who's daft now? _


	4. Pissing Off To The Pub

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alice goes out to clear her head after work. Fat chance Alice!!!

By the time Alice was done with her shift and helped clean up, Rory was long gone. She paid for his bar tab as promised. She was a little miffed that he didn't say anything to Marc about her offer to cover the whole tab. _ He probably expected it. _ She was mad at herself for having high expectations. What exactly did she expect, that they were going to become best friends and sail off into the sunset? She  _ was _ daft if she thought that. But this incident made her realize not everyone is perfect and some people could be jerks. She just wished it wasn't him that was the jerk. She had half a mind to piss off to the local pub that was still open and have a pint or two before going to the apartment.  _ Maybe I'll walk by and decide once I get there. _ She had the day off Wednesday because she was packing and moving to the trawler. So maybe one pint not two, she deserved it, she had a shitty day. Maybe she'll play some good old American music on the jukebox as she's been doing since she started going there. For the first time she was a bit homesick, “daft Yankee” - that hurt. 

The pub wasn't crowded at all when she walked in, so she decided to go up to the bar and have a seat. One draft would be a perfect nightcap. She smiled at Andrew behind the bar, she and he have gotten to know each other a bit in the last few days. He had cousins that moved to the east coast and was excited to hear she was from the US, “I'll have a pint of Guinness.” she told him.

“So your usual?” Andrew laughed. Alice nodded and snickered. 

“Make sure you don't give her a Smitty's.” A low voice rumbled right behind her. Her heart went to her throat as panic blossomed in her chest. 

“Alice! Are you ok?" Andrew noticed right away.

She shook her head as she felt the tears well up again.  _ Fuck, this day is never going to end and he's never going to let it go.  _ She refused to turn around or acknowledge that she even heard him. She wanted a do over, a confrontation at a bar was not going to help. 

“Fooks sake, mon! You're making her cry.” Andrew said over her shoulder as he handed her a napkin.

She gave him a wobbly smile and tried to compose herself, “It's ok Andrew.” She still felt him behind her. 

“Cry?” His voice went up a pitch. Suddenly he was next to her,  peering forward trying to look at her face. “Why on Earth would you be crying? You -”

She spun her head and looked at him, slightly taken aback that their noses were merely inches apart, “daft Yankee?”

Rory was taken aback. “Iain has a big mouth.”

“Not as big as your temper. Really, a tantrum because of a mistake? It was my first fucking night behind the bar and I didn't t even KNOW about the locked cabinet. Thanks for calling me names and not accepting my apology.” She stared at her finger that was now poking him in the chest. She swallowed and turned to Andrew who was staring at her with his mouth hanging open. “Andrew bring my pint to the corner table back there, suddenly this bar is very crowded.” She turned and got off the stool...she was shaking and her legs were weak.  _ Holy shit, just hold it together, Alice. Get to the table.  _ She sat down and made sure her back was to the bar. She tried desperately to slow her breathing, the last thing she needed to do was hyperventilate and make a bigger scene and she already had. She was a little afraid now, was Rory going to tell Marc what she said? Even though it happened outside of work, she really liked her co-workers and didn't want their opinion to dim of her. How about Andrew? He looked like he was going to shit himself. How about Rory? She was half expecting to hear him start raging, but it was quiet behind her. She sighed and rubbed her eyes. She was going to slam this beer and get the hell out of here, she should have just chalked this day up to a loss and went straight to bed. 

“Here's your pint, Alice” Andrew slid the glass in front of her a few moments later. Then a piece of paper was slid next to it. She looked up and he gave her a tight lipped smile before walking away. She took the healthy gulp of her Guinness before she picked up the paper and opened it. 

“This has gotten out of hand. Please let me come over to talk. R”  _ Out of hand? Out of hand?! It only got out of hand because he was being a ass!  _ She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, counting to ten. She turned slightly and raised her eyes to see Rory glancing her way. She pushed the chair across from her out with her foot and gave a quick nod. She then turned back and took another long drink. Maybe she did need another. Soon the chair was occupied and a drink joined hers on the table. 

She swallowed past the clump in her throat, “I think we need to start with a proper introduction, I'm Alice.”

“I'm Rory... Alice?” the softness of his voice took her by surprise and she looked up. “I'm sorry.”

She kept looking into those brown eyes, “Apology accepted.” She couldn't bring herself to smile, but she relaxed.

“And I accept yours, from before.” His bottom lip started to tuck in between his teeth, and she quickly looked away.  _ I'm supposed to be mad!  _ Thank goodness Andrew showed up and asked if she wanted another, “Yes, and can you play my usual three?” She slid a pound note toward him. He nodded and left. 

“Your usual 3? I take it you come here often?” 

“Often enough, the Jukebox helps me from getting to homesick.”. 

Rory nodded at that, “I certainly understand that.”

Soon “Ring of Fire” came on and Rory smiled at her, “I love this song.”

“As do I, It's my karaoke go to”

“What?” He laughed. 

She deepened her voice, “See?” Then she laughed, her first of the day. 

“There is a pub nearby that has karaoke, Alice. Don't make me challenge you.”

“No challenge at all, bring it on. Just not tonight, it's been a long day.” She levelled a look at him.

He patted her hand and then explained what happened in the dining room and she explained her side. Rory insisted that the “daft Yankee” was said in jest. “Marc would not tolerate me slamming an employee, Alice. Everyone there likes you from what I could tell.”

Alice felt like a huge weight was lifted off her shoulders and she noticed her beer started to blur, “Thank you for telling me that.” 

The song changed and Bob Dylan started singing. “I love this song, do you sing this too?” Rory smirked at her.

“No, I don't dare sing Bob!” She smiled at him. 

“Your eyes light up when you smile, even in this dark bar.”

“Thanks for giving me something to smile about.” she replied.  _ Whoa...last beer cowgirl. You're going to think he's flirting. Or worse he going to think you're flirting with him. _


	5. A Pint For The Road

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pub encounter continues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy birthday Rory!

**Chapter 5**

The second pint took much longer to drink. After “Tangled Up In Blue” was over, “Hey Joe” came on and Alice was finally relaxed and in a somewhat happy place, as surreal as it was. Rory got up and went to the jukebox himself, returning with a grin. “I played some more songs from the U.S.”

“This should be interesting, I hope you don't assume I'm going to like them all.” She snickered. She was pleasantly surprised to hear Stevie Wonder come on. “Points, McCann.” she raised her glass a bit to him. 

“Do you like Motown?” He asked.

“Love Motown!” She replied. She didn't know if the beer was affecting her because she was tired, but she couldn't stop staring at him. She was sure she had a goofy grin on her face too.  _ Definitely your last beer, Alice. _ He was smiling back and periodically his hand would cover hers or brush her arm.  _ He's feeling no pain either,  _ she mused _.  _ The next song was “Born to Run" and Alice laughed. 

“What? You don't like The Boss?” Rory was incredulous. 

“He's a gem, the song is a classic and played all. the. time.” She put her hand on his this time and smiled teasingly, “It’s a good choice for an outsider.” She pulled her hand back when she noticed she was lingering. She started to inspect her beer coaster, suddenly embarrassed. If normal people had butterflies, hers were doing pirouettes.  _ One more song, finish the beer and and chalk this up to the best turnaround day ever.  _

“Born to Run” ended and Rory tapped her hand, “I think you'll like the next one.”

“Your eyes sure are twinkling right now. Makes me think you're up to something.” He grinned at her. His smile was making those butterflies spin. 

“Sweet home Chicago” came on and Alice was so surprised, she knew her mouth dropped open. As the song continued, the tears starting welling up again. 

“Shit, Alice. I can't be the reason you are crying again!” Rory looked so sorry. Soon his chair was at her side and his arm was around her shoulders in a side hug. 

“No, no...I love the song. It just made me homesick for a moment.” She laughed, a bit embarrassed, “I swear I don't cry so much, I pride myself on being pretty stoic.” At that she felt Rory trying not to laugh out loud. “Go ahead and laugh- it's pretty ridiculous,” she looked up and felt the words jam in her throat “how did you know?”

“Marc said you were from Illinois, I took a gamble.” 

“You were close, home is an hour west of Chicago.”

He still didn't remove his arm and those brown eyes have now melted the wings off those poor butterflies., “Wrong, home is an hour west of Glasgow.” 

She sighed and looked down. “Sure, home.” She reached for her glass and downed the rest of it. “Speaking of, I better start heading there. I have a long day tomorrow.”

“Working?” 

“No, nothing glamorous, laundry and packing.”

Rory's eyebrows went up, "Leaving?”

“My room was temporary, I'm going to a place that I can stay at longer AND it's closer to work”

“I'll see you around then?”

“If you want to see me, you know where to find me.” She started to get up and he got up with her. 

“Let me settle both our tabs, it's the least I can do.” he put his hand on her arm as she reached for her purse.

“Thanks, that is kind of you.”

Soon they walked out together. “It's late, please let me walk you home?”

“Sure, it's that way.” She pointed towards Scotts in the distance.

“Perfect, same direction as me.” He offered his arm and she tucked her hand in the crook of his elbow. It was much colder, and she only had a light jacket. After about 20 feet, he lifted his arm and put it around her, pressing her to his side. “You are not dressed for the chilly spring nights.”

“I guess not, This jacket was perfect 12 hours ago.” He laughed at that and squeezed her closer. They got to the building where her room was. “How did to find a room closer than this to work? This is literally minutes from the restaurant!”

“That sir, is a secret. Thank you for seeing me to the door. And...thanks for clearing things up, it helped. A lot”

“Anytime Alice. I'll see you around” Before she knew it, arms wrapped around her into a hug that she returned as best she could. When she let go, a whiskered kiss landed on her cheek. She stood, momentarily stunned, as he turned and walked toward the Marina gate. 

“Good night Rory” 

“G’night”

Alice sat on her bed and stared out the window. Did tonight actually happen? What started as the worst experience ever turned into a great time.  _ He had his arm around me...he kissed me… he played music for me. WOW _ . She got into her fuzzy pajamas and hugged herself to sleep. 


	6. The Laundry Room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not too awkward...right?

The next morning Alice got up and texted her sister right away and was surprised that she replied back quickly since it was past midnight back home. “Alice that was a date.” Argued Luanne.

“No it wasn't, he never asked me out. We just ended up in the same place.”

“Where he sat with you, bought your drinks, walked you home AND kissed you goodnight. It may not have been a formal date, but it sure ended up as one.”

“You're crazy, he was just feeling guilty for being such a prick.”

“But I guarantee you're smitten anyway.” Luanne was right, she  _ was _ smitten. She kicked herself a few times during the morning after the exchange. After making herself a light breakfast she got busy sorting her dirty clothes, refolding her clean clothes and packing them. The dirty clothes got stuffed into a laundry bag and she decided it would be easier to put that in the empty suitcase so she can wheel it to the laundry room. She took a shower and got ready for her day. She was shocked when she looked at the clock and realized the day was half over already. She grabbed her purse and dragged her laundry suitcase behind her as she headed to Scotts for lunch. A quick meal and the laundry time, hopefully, it wouldn't be crowded and she can use several machines at once. 

She went through the back door and stashed her suitcase next to her locker before heading to the front of house. When she got to the hostess station, Claire stared at her and then stared at the front door and then stared at her again. “Did you come in through the back?” Alice nodded. “You just missed Rory, he was asking if we've seen you”

“And he was here at breakfast too!” Anna chimed in. Now both women were grinning at her. 

“That's nice, maybe he wanted to be nice to me today.” Alice laughed, trying to mask the swirl of emotions that were daring to make her grin like a fool.

“Right,” Anna said rolling her eyes, “looks like you win flavour of the month.”

Suddenly that feeling was kicked out from under her, “What?”

“Rory is a huge flirt, every new girl gets the extra attentive treatment. Until the next new girl that is”

“Wait. He’s tried to date everyone here?”

“Date? No, no it never goes that far. Just ultra friendly and cuddly attention. All the girls know about it.”

“I've been here for nearly two weeks...no one warned  _ me _ !”

Claire laughed, “You aren't in his demographic. Your about 15 years too old and 4 stone too heavy.”

“Claire! What the hell!?” Anna gasped.

Alice was mortified, “I'll just eat in the bar ladies.” She quickly walked away. Anna quickly followed her to the bar.

“Alice, Claire didn't mean that. I swear she just has a habit of being blunt.” 

“I understand, I know she didn't mean it to be mean. But she's right. He was probably just trying to be nice.” Anna hugged her and went back into the dining room. Alice sat at the bar and ordered a burger. 

She only ate half of it and left quickly with her to-go container trailing her laundry suitcase behind her. Her mood was dampened now. She was silly to let her sister convinced her that last night was a date no matter how unconventional. Claire - though blunt, was right, Alice was far from his type. _ If anything he'll be fun to talk to when I see him.  _ She was glad she heard about his flirtatious nature before she embarrassed herself thinking otherwise. When she got to the laundry room of the Marina she could hear a machine going before she pushed through the door.  _ So much for being alone, at least it didn't sound too busy.  _ She stopped short as soon as she got in the room... _ grrrreat. _

“Hi, Alice!” Rory jumped up from his chair. He was holding a newspaper and quickly swiping a pair of reading glasses off his face and palming them.

“Hi.” She smiled at him and wheeled her case to a machine. Now she had to pull her dirty clothes out in front of them. Could she die now? Seriously this day just keeps getting more awkward. She loaded two machines set them for a wash cycle. Once the soap was added and the machines whirring, she had no choice but to go to the chairs.  _ Can't be rude...remember... friends. We are friends.  _ She sat, pulled a book out of her purse and smiled at him. “Laundry day?” 

“Yes, I've been here nearly all day” he laughed, “I didn't know you did your laundry here.”

“Ollie was nice enough to offer the amenities since my apartment doesn't have a washer or dryer.”

Rory saw the to-go container, “Just come from the restaurant?”

“Yes, apparently I just missed you.” she paused, “and missed you this morning.”

“You heard huh? They would have really given me a hard time if I showed up again tonight.” He laughed, but stopped abruptly when he saw the look on her face, “Alice?”

“You don't have to be nice on my account, I, uh, heard about your rep.”

“Rep?”

“Super attentive to the new girls... though apparently, I don't fit your profile.” She gave him a sad smile, “So thank you for the attention, I do forgive you for yesterday, I had fun last night ...but I don't need guilty falsehoods.”

He stared at her with a dumbfounded look, “I was looking for you to ask you if you wanted to go out to dinner tonight. Not to be a flirt, but because I enjoyed your company last night.”

Now it was her turn to look dumbfounded, “Really?”

“Really.” She stared at him trying to read the lie,  _ he looked pretty damn genuine _ . “Alice?”

“Yeah?”

“So how about it?”

“Sure.” She smiled.

“Great! It's a date! I'll pick you up at your building and we can walk. 6:30?”. 

She nodded.  _ Date!!! He said date! Stay cool Alice!! Wait...his mouth is moving, FOCUS. “ _ What was that?”

“Do you have any seafood allergies?” He was laughing.

“No, no food allergies.” She smiled up at him and then went to the washers to check the time left. She sat back next to him and picked up her book. After a few moments, the newspaper was opened again. But now he was holding it at an angle and a little close to his face. “Rory, not to be nosy...but I saw the reading glasses. Put them on.”

She heard a sigh, “Aye, all right. But no teasing.” He pulled them out of his pocket and slipped them on and glanced at her over the frames. That look sent a lightning bolt to her core,  _ fuuuuuuuck. _

_ “ _ Teasing? Have you looked in a mirror?”

“...and they call  _ me _ a flirt!”

“Just telling the truth, I like 'em,” she looked back into her book. She needed to get back to reading or she was going make a fool out of herself. Soon they sat side by side in their chairs, reading and Alice felt great. No jet-setting needed, her adventure was in a laundry room with underwear being washed 10 feet away. 

 


	7. Date...number 3?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What number "date" is this anyway?

Alice finished her book as her clothes were drying, “Good book?” Rory asked.

“Great book! A few years old, but worth the read,” she handed it over to him.

“Whiskey Rebels?”

“Based on early settlers in Pennsylvania during the Revolution.”

“May I borrow it?” he asked, reading the dust cover.

“Certainly!”

Rory's last load was nearly finished. He had moved to a table and was working on a crossword puzzle in the newspaper. He gestured to the empty chair, “Care to join me?”

She sat and looked at the puzzle, “Need help? I'm not sure I know any, but I can look.”

He turned the paper and she leaned in a bit to look.

“You smell nice,” he murmured softly. 

“It's fabric softener,” she smiled. She could feel her cheeks tingle and damned if those butterflies were fully resurrected and doing the Pasodoble. She tapped the paper, “5 down for 'Best’s Replacement’ is Starr” 

“It fits, thanks” 

She looked up to answer him and was struck mute, he was inches away with those damn glasses on. Damn, how could he not see how gorgeous he was? Suddenly a dryer buzzed loudly, followed by another. Alice jumped, the moment lost.  _ Was it even a moment? _ Rory went to the dryer and pulled his clothes out, putting them in a basket and moving to one of the long tables along the wall of the room. Alice did the same. She stood there for a few moments not really wanting to dump her pile of clothes.  _ You're being ridiculous, you're both adults, it's just clothing. _ But still, she paused. 

“Everything okay?” Rory asked, folding a t-shirt.

“Um yeah. I think I'm going to wait until you're finished to fold though, my other load will be done by then and I can do it all together.”

He looked at her with one eyebrow raised, but thankfully he didn't challenge or tease her. “Good strategy, all at once instead of twice.”

She left her basket and wandered back over to the little table, “do you mind if I work on the crossword a little bit more while I wait?”

“Sure go ahead, the pencil should be still there”

She picked it up and looked over the grid, he had over half of the puzzle done. She could barely even understand questions in the Scottish newspaper, let alone know the answers. 

She saw one and smiled, “I've got another one!” 

As she was writing she heard a laugh, “Just one?”

“Ooooh you, I'm going to have my sister send a couple copies of the Chicago Tribune” crossword”

“Is it as difficult as the New York Times?”

“No, that one makes me want to rip my hair out” 

“Agreed.” He was next to her again with a full bag of folded laundry. He picked up the book. “Do want to continue working on the crossword?” 

“I'll give it a go.”

“No cheating, Alice”

“Never!” she laughed and just then the second dryer buzzed, so she stood up. 

“So tonight?” he started

“Yes, I'll see you outside of my building at 6:30. I'm looking forward to it, she looked up at him and smiled. 

He put the bag in the book down to put his arms around her again. This time she returned the hug a little easier. Briefly, she felt his cheek on the top of her head, “fabric softener huh? I like it” she felt chuckle and then the softest of kisses on the crown of her head. That pasodoble turned into a tango. He pulled away, picked up the bag in the book, “See you later, Alice!”

“See you later, Rory.”

 

She folded her clothes in a daze and put them in her suitcase to go back to her room. She picked up the newspaper in the pencil and put it in the front pocket of the suitcase. Her head was buzzing, she couldn't wait for tonight. She got to her room and then immediately called her sister. 

“Ooooo Third date!”

“Third? Are you insane? This is our first!”

“Nope, you had an impromptu bar date, a laundry afternoon date, and now a dinner date.” Luanne laughed.

“Stop it Luanne. As if I'm not nervous already.”

“I'm sorry Alice, really I am. This date will go fine with what you're saying he seems to like you and you enjoyed even sitting around doing nothing. Nobody calls their sister excitedly after sitting in the laundry room I am sure.” Luanne said in a reassuring tone.

“Thanks, Luanne, I'll call you tomorrow okay? I have to get ready.”

Alice hung up and thought about what she was going to wear. She opened both suitcases on her bed and stared at the contents. She decided on a long black lightweight sweater with darted sides, dark grey leggings and ankle boots. After she got dressed, she took her hair clip out and was happy to see her hair fell in gentle waves to her shoulders, she added a little hairdressing to her hands and arranged it a bit.  _ That looks nice and not too fussy, _ she smiled in the mirror. She put her makeup on carefully without being too overdramatic. She glanced at the clock and decided to head outside. She grabbed her jacket again realizing that it was the heaviest she had. Hopefully being coupled with the sweater she'll be warm enough. Or at least she'll have the offer of a warm arm like last time. That thought had her tummy do a little flip as she locked the door. There was a small bench in front of the building so she sat down and pulled the crossword out again to kill time. She was penciling in a few notes by some of the clues when a shadow fell over her. She looked up and sucked in a breath. He wore lace-up boots, black jeans and a sweater with a shirt underneath.  _ He looks perfect.  _ She got up and smoothed down her sweater before turning his way, “Hi.”

“Hi! Are you still working on that puzzle?”

“Yes, it's a great time killer.” she tucked her hand into his offered elbow. As they started walking he told her that they were going to in restaurant at the tip of Troon. He pointed out different sites as they walked along Harbour Road. They stopped a few times so Alice could take some pictures. When she put her phone away and they resumed walking her heart jumped when he took her hand. She hoped he couldn't feel her heart racing through her fingertips. After a while, they got to the restaurant and were shown to their seat near a window. Alice started to feel overwhelmed.

“Are you alright Alice?”

“It's just so beautiful,” she said swallowing hard, “I never imagined when I decided to come here that I would love it so much.” 

He took her hand in his gently, “Wait until you see this area from a boat, you'll never want to leave.” 

She laughed and smiled at him,“Are you proposing an outing, or should I look for a charter?“

“Charter? Bugger that, I'll be taking you out soon.” 

“I look forward to it,” she gave his hand a squeeze.

They ordered cocktails, with Alice foregoing Guinness for a gin and tonic. Rory ordered several apps while she figured out the entree she wanted. She decided on the sea bass and Rory got the hake. “I've only had hake in sushi,” Alice noted.

“Really?” She nodded to him. The drinks came and the plates of appetizers came soon after. 

After trying the oysters, Alice rolled her eyes in delight, “Soooo good”

“What until you try a mussel.” Rory slid a mollusk unto the plate. He was right, it was fantastic. Everything was delicious. The appetizer plates were cleared and Alice looked out the window again. She felt a hand return to hers and a thumb rubbed lightly above her wrist. Each swipe sent little shockwaves through her body. A sigh escaped her lips.

“Everything ok.?”

“Everything is perfect,” she tilted her hand slightly and soon he was holding it. They sat that way and enjoyed the view out the window.

Soon entree came and Alice loved the sea bass paired with the rocket salad. 

“Here, try this, “ she looked up to see a forkful of his entree. She stared at him, “c'mon Alice I don't have bugs and I don't think you do either.” She opened her mouth and the fork slid in. It was good, really good. Never mind d that her brain was short-circuiting. He resumed eating as if it were no big deal to feed his date. She stabbed a bit of sea bass and arugula. Swallowing at her own boldness, she held it up. 

“Would you like to try mine?” Her cheeks were flaming, she could feel it. She couldn't take her eyes off him as he leaned in and wrapped his lips around her fork. 

“Wow, that is great!” His eyes flicked over to her, “you are cute when you blush. You are so flustered, it is adorable.”

“Flustered? Me? Never!” she laughed. He knew exactly how to set her mind at ease.

As they ate, Rory asked what she did in the US. She told him about her previous career and the layoff. Concluding that she left to come to Scotland for an adventure. 

“Did you find it?”

“And then some.” She was conflicted, should she tell him she knows who he is and that she's a fan. Will he think she stalked him? She really didn't think she'd even see him, let alone end up having dinner with him. If anything being his fan just pointed her to the destination, she didn't really pursue anything else.

She just got the nerve to speak up when their waitress returned with a dessert menu. Alice didn't think she would have room for anything but Rory insisted that she try the carrot cake. Once the dishes were cleared they sat back to wait. This was her chance. She took a deep breath. “Rory I'm pretty sure it's obvious that you know that I know who you are.”

He laughed, “it was pretty obvious, Alice.”

“Obvious? Are you kidding me?”

“You were obvious in the fact that you were trying hard to avoid any conversation about it. Which made it even more obvious. Frankly, I'd be more surprised if you didn't know who I was especially around here.”

“It doesn't bother you?”

“No, it doesn't bother me.You don't seem to be the crazed fan type.”

She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. If it didn't bother him, she wasn't going to let it bother her, and she let the subject drop.

Soon that dessert arrived. Alice had a piece of carrot cake and Rory had a slice of pecan pie. 

“Do you want to split and share so you can try both?”

“Sure,” soon they were sliding half of each other's desserts on to the others plates. Both were delicious. There wasn't much talking as the desserts disappeared and soon the plates were empty. Rory settled the check and got up extending his hand to hers. “Do you have to work tomorrow?”

“Late morning and lunch shift.”

“Maybe you'll see me around.” 

“Well, I do work in your backyard.”

“That you do. When do you move?”

“Friday.”

“Where?” He nudged her.

“You'll see,” She laughed.

They left the restaurant and started walking. “You know what this area needs? A little park. This beautiful view and nowhere to sit and enjoy the views...just an industrial port.” 

“You live here, maybe it's something you can look into?”

“Pttt why look into it if you're going to leave? I want a park to take  _ you _ to.”

“C'mon Rory. That a bit dramatic.”

“Well, what’s romantic about waterfront warehouses? I wouldn't even like walking through this area on a normal day, let alone having a post date stroll.”

“Romantic settings are subjective, it's the romance that counts...parks, brick walls...who cares?”

Rory stopped and looked at her, “Really?” He stepped forward and Alice found that she was backed up against said brick wall. He looked down at her, “do you want to test that theory?”

Alice licked her lips and looked up, the butterflies were rioting now. “I’d like that,” she said softly. She felt his hand under her chin lifting it slightly, soon she was looking into his warm brown eyes. Her knees started to feel boneless and before she could say anything, his lips were on hers.

 

Soon he had her pressed against the wall, one hand behind her head and the other on her hip. Her hands were at his sides, gripping his shirt. She tilted her head slightly and the kiss deepened. That made her knees buckle fully and the arm at her hip circled around her to hold her up. She pulled his bottom lip in slightly and her hands made their way behind him. When his tongue slid against the side of hers, her core felt a jolt. She shuddered against him. At that, he pulled back and looked at her.

“Are you ok?”

“More than ok, holy cow Rory.”

He put his forehead to hers “Holy cow?” 

“This is the most romantic brick wall ever.” At that, he kissed her again, slowly. She was fully in his arms now as she felt lifted to his eye level and pressed back against the wall. She hooked her ankles around the backs of his thighs for leverage and at that, he groaned. His lips went to her ear then, “We need to stop, I'm going to ruin your jacket.”

“Jacket? We need to stop because I don't want to be arrested for indecent exposure.”

“Indecent exposure?” his eyebrow went up.

“Well, we will if we keep going.”

Suddenly Rory's back stiffened and his eyes widened. Alice was going to ask what was wrong when she heard the voice. 

“Well, well well enjoying an evening stroll? Not a good place to stop for a snog, mate. Maybe I'll take over if you don't cooperate.” Alice's stomach twisted in fear. Her purse hung off her shoulders, out of sight for now. She wriggled her right hand into the front pocket, feeling for her keychain. 

“He has a knife,” Rory growled low into her ear. He was still pressed against her and she slowly unwrapped her legs.

“That I do, and it's pressed against your back...isn't it?” She heard the unseen assailant’s dark laugh. 

All Rory had to do was shift his head over and she'd see the attacker. Would he move if she asked? Would he trust her? She was staring into his eyes; she didn't see fear, but he certainly was angry. She couldn't even imagine the look that was on her face. She bumped his cheek with her nose and said as low as she could. “Make like you are going to comply, but move your head to your right.” Did he nod? She wasn't sure, but she tightened her fist anyway and heard a click. 

“We’ll give you what you want,” Rory's words distracted the attacker just enough so he could do what Alice said. Soon the man's face was exposed and Alice swung with all her might; the man screamed and stepped back. Rory spun around and before she knew it, the knife was on the ground in the attacker was flat on his back, knocked out cold. 

She stood frozen against the wall. Rory pushed the knife away with this foot as he pulled his phone out of his jacket. She lifted her hand to look at her claws. When her sister bought her this self-defense piece to keep in her purse, Alice laughed.  _ I'm glad I always kept it even though I thought I'd never use it.  _ When gripped, the handheld device actually produced four hard plastic claws in between the knuckles. Just enough pain to stop an attack and to get away.  _ Apparently just enough to stop the attack and have Rory McCann punch your lights out too.  _

She let out a small chuckle as she noticed the overhead light dimming. “Alice? Alice!”  _ Why the fuck did Rory sound so far away?  _ With that thought, everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I read a writing exercise that you think "what is the craziest thing that could happen?" while writing a scene. So I asked myself that while Alice and Rory were mauling each other. lol  
> I modified the self-defense tool a bit, but this is it: https://www.tigerlady.com/pages/how-it-works  
> "The Whiskey Rebels" is a historical novel that chronicles the events that led up to the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794, if you have Scotch, Scotch-Irish or American Revolutionary War ancestry (or all three), you may enjoy this book too. https://www.amazon.com/Whiskey-Rebels-Random-Readers-Circle/dp/0812974530  
> BTW: yes, I found crosswords on a Scottish Newspaper site and I took the first clue I could get. lol


	8. All's Well That Ends Awkwardly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This really wasn't how Alice thought the date would end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Un-beta'd.   
> Know an editing beta?

Chapter 8  
Alice cuddled against the warmth of her pillow as she attempted to pull the blanket tighter around her. When her fingers landed on an arm instead of a blanket, she jerked. Blinking rapidly everything started to come back into focus. She wasn't in bed. She was sitting on Rory's lap with his arms around her. He was sitting on a curb and two policemen stood nearby, a squad car next to them.   
“There she is, I don't think you need to call the ambulance. Alice, you all right?”  
“Did I pass out?” Rory nodded, his hand cupping her cheek. She smiled. “I'm okay, I was just scared and then relieved we weren't hurt.”  
Rory's arms tightened around her momentarily before he helped her to her feet and then stood up next to her.   
“We need to take your weapon in to be analyzed.” The officer held up a small bag with her claws in it.   
Am I in trouble for having that here? It's legal in the US I didn't even think it would be illegal here.”  
“No it should be okay but we want to note that the wounds match the weapon for evidence against the attacker.”  
After making a statement and refusing medical assistance, they gave the officers their contact information for follow up. They offered them a ride back to her building but Alice did not want to get into the same car as the attacker.   
They were so close and they were sure that the commotion would keep any other troublemakers away. They assured the officers they could walk back with no problem. The car followed them out of the industrial park for safe measure and then went on their way once they were in the well-lit residential area. Soon they were at Alice's building. She reached into her purse and froze. “Shit. Ohhhhh shit”  
“Alice, are you ok”  
“I'm fine, but my keys are with the evidence,” all she could do at that point is laugh.   
“I could call the police back.”  
“No, let them process that scum” she reached into her purse and pulled out her phone, “I'll just call Sarah”  
A hand stopped her, “Alice, it's late don't wake up Sarah.”  
Rory I really don't want the police to have to come back with my keys.”  
“How about you just come back with me?”   
Her eyes snapped wide, “uhhhh”  
“No funny stuff. I'll have you back here in time for you to get ready for work. Promise.”  
Alice was still speechless so she nodded. Soon her hand was tucked into the crook of his elbow as they walked to the marina. Soon they were at the boat and Rory helped her down into the cabin.It was much bigger than his old boat, and newer too. He cleared off a spot on the counter, “You can put your stuff here.” He went to a trunk and rifled through the contents, grumbling. Finally he stood, smiling triumphantly, “I bought these for my sister when she forgot to pack pajamas. She's taller than you but I think they would fit better than anything I would have to offer”  
Alice took the folded bundle from him and looked at it, “Thanks.”   
I have a tiny bathroom, you can change in there. In fact I might have something else for you, hang on.” he unlatched the drawer and dug through it until he pulled out a narrow package. Here you go, your own toothbrush. There's toothpaste and soap on the sink. She made her way to the small bathroom silently and maybe a still a little bit in shock. The pajamas fit well, she just had to roll the waist to shorten the legs a bit. She brushed her teeth, washed her face and ran her fingers through her hair. This usually isn't how a first date ends, she felt pretty exposed right now. Here goes nothing, she swallowed and went back into the cabin. a small light was on and Rory pulled the blanket back from the bed.  
“i'll sleep over of the covers with my own blanket. Or if you are uncomfortable, I can go up top.”  
“On the deck? Don't be ridiculous. You said no funny business, and I believe you. Besides, I've had enough excitement for the night... haven't you? She laughed at that and crawled onto the bed, settling under the blankets. Soon the light was turned off and only the lights from the Marina provided light in the cabin. She felt him lay down and shift a bit, “Rory?” she asked, feeling for his hand.  
“Yeah?” his fingers found hers and they intertwined.  
“That was a great date, considering.”  
“I’m glad we didn’t get hurt, my little slasher.” he laughed softly and lifted her hand to his lips. At that, Alice fell asleep.


	9. The Next Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alice, Alice, Alice...really. The awkwardness continues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still un-beta'd  
> It takes me forever to self edit lol

Ugh she was so hot, _must have forgotten to crack the window open in the apartment._ Still half asleep, she stuck her thumbs in the waistband of her pajamas and pushed them down, when they reached her feet she kicked them off the bed. She pushed the blanket out of the way and rolled on top of it. Finally a bit cooler, she slipped back into a deep sleep. Several hours later, now chilled, she found the edge of a blanket and snuggled into it.

 

The light was in her eyes as she slowly started to wake up. She shifted and froze, someone was next to her. Her eyes flew open and she stared at the man next to her as the events of the night before came flooding back. _I was under my own blanket when I fell asleep and WHERE ARE MY PANTS?!_ She flew back from him and hit the wall. That was enough to wake him up, he stretched and his hand smacked her is the face. “Hey!” she protested.

He turned and looked at her, eyes wide, “The hell??” Soon after he started laughing, “I am so sorry Alice. I slept like a rock and it took me a minute.” He stopped and looked her, “What’s wrong?”

“I took off my pants last night.”

“What?!”

“I must have been hot, I do that sometimes.”

“You take off your clothes as you sleep?” He started laughing.

“It’s not funny! Would if you woke up first and saw me under your blanket with no pants on?”

“I’d cover you back up, Alice. If you were going to make a move on me, I’d prefer if you were awake.”

“I'm so embarrassed”

“Don’t be silly. Hang on,” he got up and went to the foot of the bed to pick up the bottoms, “Here. Slip them back on while I use the head.”

She grabbed the bottoms and slipped them on after she heard the click of the bathroom door. She looked at his side of the bed _I went_ _on a date with Rory, we made out and now I'm in his bed…_ it felt surreal to her. Even more, she saw him as a fun, sexy, albeit goofy guy - Rory the guy that she met after screwing up a drink order than Rory the actor. She sighed and tried to smooth down her hair, she must look a fright. The door opened and Rory was at the foot of the bed again. “The bathroom is all yours. Would you like a t-shirt?”

Half of a clean outfit was better than nothing, “That would be nice, thanks!” She scooted off the bed and grabbed her folded clothes from the night before, leaving her sweater and jacket. Rory fished out a t-shirt and she went into the bathroom. Her heart was racing at the thought of wearing his clothes as she brushed her teeth and washed her face. She changed and laughed, the shirt went to her knees. It was a local bar shirt, “The Smoking Goat” it looked well worn and was soft against her skin. _Get a damn grip, Alice._ She felt the boat move and some muffled voices and she gathered the pajamas. When she came out of the bathroom, she found herself alone. She went to the bed and folded the pajamas loosely and picked up her clothes. The voices stopped and soon Rory was headed back below deck, smiling. “I have something for you!” he held up her keys.

“Awesome!” she glanced at her phone, I have just over an hour to get back, get ready and go to work.

“Really? I wanted to make you breakfast.”

“I’m sorry. Maybe next time.” _Oh my GOD Alice, next time?_ She started tripping over her words, “uh, I mean...um. Our next date...um… ohhh shit,” she was turning bright red.

Arms went around her then, “Alice it's okay I understand what you meant.”

She looked up at him,”This really was a great date. I hope we can do it again, without getting assaulted that is.”

“We definitely will!” with that he dipped his head down and kissed her softly. She had to temper her response because she was already going to be late for work.

When they parted, she started up stairs, “I'll see you, you know where to find me.”

“Aye, and you know where to find me.”

 

After she got to her room, she took a fast shower and threw her uniform on. She shoved her makeup bag and hair ties in her large purse and headed out. She can finish getting ready at Scotts, she really did not want to be late.

 

When she got to Scotts, she was surrounded. Word travels fast in this small town. She told the story of the attempted mugging several times. Afterwards she was cornered in the kitchen by Anna and Claire regarding Rory. “Was it a date?” “A real date?” “Did anything happen?” “Was he wonderful?” “Are you his girlfriend?” “Are you going out again?” The questions peppered her ears as if being shot by dueling machine guns.

She answered honestly but simply, “Yes.” “Yes!” “Not telling you!” “Yeah, he is.” “Dunno.” Hope so!”

They tried to pump more information but backed off when she held her ground, this was no one’s business. The rest of her shift went quickly and she decided to have an early dinner before heading to the apartment to finish packing. As she was eating, she saw Rory approach the hostess stand. He looked over and she waved to him, he quickly came over. “May I join you?”

“Of course!” she smiled at him.

They talked about their days and he let her know that he was going to Glasgow after dinner and should be home Friday night. “Maybe then I can see where you are moving!”

“Maybe.”

After dinner they stood on the terrace, looking over the harbour. After they exchanged numbers, he told her he’d text when he got back. The kiss he gave her before he left was sure to have her coworkers buzzing for days.

  
  



	10. Silent Phone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alice misses Rory.

The next morning, Alice left her apartment for the last time.  She hugged Sarah and told her to come by for a lunch on her sometime.  She made her way to the Marina and the pier where the boat was docked. David was standing outside and hurried toward her to help with one of her bags.  “Hi, Alice!”    
“Hi!”   
“Are you ready for some boat living?”   
“Sure thing!”   
There were three bedrooms for let on the boat with several common spaces.  She was the only resident, for now, so she had the run of the boat.    
“It’s the offseason right now, it should pick up soon.  I may even go out of town to visit my parents for a spell.”   
“You would trust me?” Alice was a little surprised.   
“There is little to do to wreck this beast.  Besides Ollie and Marc adore you, that’s a good sign.”   
Her room was a small cabin with storage under the bed and small closet.  She unpacked and used the twin berth to put her extra clothes and items. Though the bathroom was hers for now, if anyone rented a room, it would be shared. Showers and laundry were at the Marina facilities.  So she only put the necessities in the small cabinet made a note to buy a tote to haul her items around.   
This will be perfect for a while, she was getting a deep discount and David said when he goes out of town we would not charge her at all because she would be “Boat Sitting”.  Hopefully, when the tourists did fill in space, she would know if she was staying or not. Her sister could sell her home in Illinois in a heartbeat for top dollar - coupled with her savings, severance and her wages now; she could easily buy a small flat in town outright.  The thought scared and thrilled her. Would the novelty of living here wear off? Would the thought of dating her wear off for Rory when he started a new filming project? Her gut twisted a little.  _ Alice, don’t EVEN. You see him a couple times and you are already afraid of him moving on. You are not even exclusive. _ She rubbed her eyes and sighed,  _ you are being ridiculous _ .   
It was a sunny day, so after unpacking and having a snack, Alice read while sitting on the deck.  It was a great day off.   
The next day she gathered her clothes and her shower items in a drawstring bag and went to the showers. It was a little weird, but she told herself she’d get used to it.  It was early and it was empty. It wasn’t like there were many women here anyway, especially in the offseason. After getting ready, she headed off to work. Today was the lunch and start of dinner service shift.  It was busy and fun, her coworkers invited her to karaoke night at Macintyre’s on Friday. She couldn’t wait. No texts came in from Rory, she convinced herself he was busy and resisted the urge to text him first.   
Friday came and Alice was waiting at Scotts for the rest of the party that was going to the pub for Karaoke. They were going to walk and she was in high spirits.  The weather was mild so she was wearing a skirt with a plaid top. She decided to have a little fun, so she braided her hair and topped it with a beret. It would be perfect in case she was dragged up to sing, she could pull the brim down and hide if she needed to.  She sighed and looked at her phone, not a peep from Rory. In fact, there were no calls or texts from anyone. Not even her sister. She figured it must have been a busy few days for everyone. She didn’t even touch her laptop during that time, she was just as guilty.  She pushed her disappointment down about Rory,  _ it was nice while it lasted _ . She just wishes it lasted a wee little bit longer.  Macintyre’s wasn’t too crowded, so they pushed several tables together and ordered drinks.  She looked through the songbook, there were a few she could manage if she had a few drinks in her.  The guys did a group song and the girls decided to do one as a challenge. Alice was dragged up with them and had a good laugh performing “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls.  The night went on Alice ended up going up several times with various people from work. She was having fun and her silent phone sat in her purse, forgotten.    
“No!  Really?” Claire laughed when Alice told her she submitted “Ring of Fire”.     
“Really.  I do it at home.”    
“If you pull this off, I’ll buy you a shot.”   
“Deal.”   
Just then her name was called and she swallowed.  She was having fun, but she was not even buzzed. She looked around the pub and thankfully it was not crowded at all, she focused on her friends and nodded to the DJ.  She has done this a million times,  _ just settle in a channel Johnny, Alice. _ She relaxed and the music started. “I fell into a burning ring of fire...I went down, down, down... And the flames went higher.”  She looked at her co-workers, their mouths hung open.  _ Nailed it  _ she thought.  Claire grinned and made a motion of doing a shot.  Thankfully, it was a shorter song and the music faded away quickly. She heard clapping from her group and she did an exaggerated bow to them, laughing. As she was walking off the little platform she heard clapping from the back and she froze in place when she realized it was Rory, leaning against the wall by the door. She rejoined her group and watched as he made his way toward her.  The hooting from the group faded away as they followed her stare.    
Within moments he was in front of her, “Marc said you would be here with everyone. I wanted to talk to you.”   
She stared at him, eyes wide “If you wanted to talk, why didn’t you text? Or call?”  Was he serious? He ignores her for days and shows up here wanting to talk? Her body was totally betraying her though, her knees were weak and her tummy was doing excited little flips. She stood there as he stared back.   
He reached his hand out, “Now we  _ really  _ need to talk. Outside,” he paused, “Please.”   
She was confused now, he looked upset for some reason.  She nodded and grabbed her purse. “I’ll be right back. Hold that shot, Claire.” She took his hand and walked outside.   
“Alice, I did text and call.” Rory proclaimed as soon as they were outside.   
“What? No! I have been checking my phone every day!  Every hour even!” She pulled her phone out, unlocked it and thrust it at him, “Not a peep from you!”   
He took it and looked at it while she stared at him, smugly.  After a moment of studying her phone, he sighed deeply. “Alice…..”  He swiped down and pressed on the screen and handed the phone back to her.  Within seconds, her phone started blowing up. Missed calls, a text from her sister and texts from Rory.  Many texts from Rory…   
“The hell?” she stared at her phone.   
“Alice. It was on Airplane Mode.”    
“Oh my God!” when she saw the times he tried contacting her, she slumped against the wall of the pub.  “Oh my God…” she repeated, whispering. Her hand covered her mouth as relief flooded her. All of the uncertainty she felt washed away.   
“I thought you didn’t want to see me anymore,” they spoke at the same time.  She was in his arms next, her hands on his shoulders as their mouths crashed together.  She could not get closer to him, as their kissing became passionate. She ground into him as her mouth left his to chew on his earlobe. His arms tightened around her and his breathing was turning ragged.   
“Holy shit you two, get a bloody room,” Iain was standing at the door, “Fooks sake mon.” He walked back inside, throwing his arms in the air.   
Alice untangled herself from Rory, “We should go back inside.”    
He nodded, eyes nearly black, “You came with them, but  _ I’m _ taking you home.”   
At that, the sweet ache she was feeling turned into a flood of arousal. She took his hand and let him back inside.   
  
  
  
  


  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I've done this. Stupid airplane mode!


	11. Service of a Different Sort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rory and Alice made up for lost time.  
> *Please note rating change*

There was a shot waiting for Alice when she returned to the table. It was two layers and she eyeballed it, “This isn’t going to make me barf is it?”

“No, it won’t make you sick Alice. Do it!!”

“Alrighty,” she picked up the shot and slammed it. It was minty with a whiskey finish, “not bad - what is it?”

“The Big O,” Claire grinned at her and Anna was laughing behind her.

She laughed and put the glass down, “Cute!”

Hands went to her hips and she felt breath on her ear, “You’ll be having another one later if I have anything to do with it.” Her knees immediately went weak at his voice, low enough for just her to hear.

Her face was flush, she knew it. “I think I’ll let Rory walk me back home, if that’s alright with you all.”

She sighed, _they knew_. Her coworkers could read her like a book, they smiled widely as they said goodnight. Soon they were on the street in front of the pub.

“My place or yours?” Rory raised an eyebrow.

“My place has very tight quarters, your place.”

“Tighter than my boat?”

“You don’t know the half of it. We’ll be passing by on our way. I’d like to stop and get some things if you don’t mind.”

“I hope pajamas and a change of clothes are included.” he smiled mischievously.

“You want me to stay?” she looked up into his eyes.

“I missed you tremendously, Alice. Yes.” His hand took hers and they started walking toward the marina.

When they walked through the entrance, Rory stopped her, “Alice? Where are you living?” His eyes followed her finger as it pointed. “The fishing trawler?! We are neighbours!” Rory laughed. He was still laughing and shaking his head when they got there.

“I’ll be right back!” She ran in and started shoving clothes and essentials into a small bag. She stopped and pulled out her phone, the lone message from her sister was to tell her she  was going out of town for a few days and would be off the grid. _Whew_ . Her chest tightened a little when she looked at Rory's thread, they started off with light hearted hellos, turned into question marks and finally a conclusion that either her phone was lost or dead because “no one could be that mean.” She felt bad she made him feel that way but the fact that he went to the bar to find her and take her home thrilled her. She was shaking and her knees were weak. _Oh my God...this could be it._ The sadness and unease she felt earlier was gone. He wanted her. He wanted her as much as she wanted him. She felt a rush to her cheeks as she shut off her room light and made her way back outside.

Rory was leaning against the light, the look he gave her shot a jolt of lightning to her crotch.

“Ready?” he said, quietly.

She swallowed, “You bet.”

They got to his  boat and Alice led him to the cushioned seats on the deck. Their lips were on each others before they even sat down. Before she knew it, her leg was over his lap and his hand was halfway up her thigh. She moaned a bit and shifted until she was sitting on his lap. He groaned at that. “I'm holding back, you know,” Alice warned.

“This is holding back?” Rory murmured as he was unbuttoning her shirt.

She ground down on his hardness and pivoted her hips, “Now I'm not.” Rory's eyes flashed and the remaining buttons flew as he ripped her shirt open and buried his face in her cleavage. Both hands were under her skirt now and spanning her ass. Her hands went to his shirt hem and she started tugging ...”Get this off, I can't rip it!” He sat up slightly and took his shirt off quickly. Alice stared at his chest, she could nearly feel her mouth watering. She put her hands on his hips and ran her hands up over his chest, drawing her nails lighty over his nipples. Her hands  combed up through his hair to his neck and ended at his beard. She curled her hands and gently raked her fingers back down, her lips following as she licked and nipped at him. She pushed him back as her hands reached for his pants. He was leaning back slightly, his hands now lightly resting on her waist. She worked his button and zipper, and then pulled the sides of his pants down. He stared as he lifted his hips a bit, allowing her to push them down past his knees.

She grabbed a loose cushion and put it on the deck. She dropped to her knees and bent down to unlace his boots. She saw the knots and changed her mind, she needed him now. Alice swallowed hard as she ran her hands back up his legs, traveling to the inside of his thighs. He was wearing boxers and they were tented, his cock straining against the cotton. She could see a bit of flesh through the fly and her heart quickened. She drew herself up on her knees and leaned in. Her face was level with his navel and she looked up at him.

“Alice….” He started, he was panting lightly.

“Let me do this. Please?” She smiled as he nodded and took a deep breath. It's been a while since she's done this. A long while. Her thumbs hooked over his waistband and she gently pulled. He lifted again and his hands appeared over hers to help. She pushed the boxers down to his shins, meeting his crumpled pants. Resting her hands on his hips again she turned her attention to his manhood. She suppressed a gasp. _What the hell did you expect, Alice? He's 6’6” with hands like dinner plates._ Her mind went spatial and she quickly concluded in the dim light that he was at _least_ 10 inches of uncut and deeply veined glory. Her hands encircled it and she heard him draw in a sharp breath. Curious, she leaned in and rimmed the foreskin with her tongue around his smooth head. His fingers combed  through her hair and pulled it away from her face. _Is he watching me?_ This thought coupled with the taste of him sent a wave of pleasure so strong that it almost hurt. She squeezed her thighs harder together. With one hand she gently pushed the skin back and she licked the glistening slit of his head before putting her lips over it. He groaned loudly and his hips bucked forward. Using both hands and her mouth, she bobbed and stroked, meeting his barely restrained  thrusts.

His breath was hitched and punctuated with the occasional “Yessssss” and the growling of her name that only made her wetter. She was able to take more of him in her mouth and release one hand. She reached for his balls and found them tightly drawn up. She cupped them lightly and rubbed her middle finger behind them. She felt him jerk and the noise coming from his mouth was now feral. His legs opened as wide as his pants allowed. Her mouth traveled down his length and she licked around the base of his cock. “Alice, don’t stop. That feels so good,” he could barely get the words out. Her lips were on one side of his balls as her hand stroked the backside. She ran her tongue up the underside of him, pre-cum was pearled at his tip and she lapped it up before taking him into her mouth again. She tightened her grip on his shaft and swirled her tongue as she sucked him against the roof of her mouth.

That's when she felt the pulse and she braced herself. She struggled to relax her throat as he came. She was pleasantly distracted when she felt his fingers tighten in her hair and she heard a cry that was a combination of a groan, whimper and laugh. She held him in her mouth and repeatedly swallowed, begging herself not to gag. Her grip loosened as he started to soften. His hands were still tightly woven in her hair and she heard him gasping. She gently pulled back and tried to distreetly wipe her mouth. She couldn't look at him just yet. She was in shock, she just sucked him off and swallowed him like a whore. She was all but dripping, she was so worked up a _look_ would send her over the edge. He massaged her scalp and started murmuring, “Alice...oh my God.”

She rested her cheek against his knee, flicking a glance upward. “I hope that was ok?”

“Ok? It was an unexpected, wonderful gift. You have no idea.” Alice looked up and he was smiling softly at her, “get up here into my arms woman.”

  
  



	12. Below Deck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alice goes to wonderland.

Her cheek was pressed to his chest and she heard his heart hammering in her ear. He was nuzzling her hair and planting soft kisses on the top of her head. She was glad that he pulled his pants up before she settled on his lap, even though the fly and button were still undone.

He held her for a few more moments, “How about we go down below?” he whispered.

Alice nodded, grabbed her overnight bag and made her way downstairs. She quickly ducked into the bathroom and brushed her teeth. While she was in there, she tried to compose herself. They were going to sleep together, she was pretty sure of that now. She looked at her disheveled hair and wide eyes in the mirror and grinned.  _ Holy shit Alice…  _ She tried to wipe the smile from her face and took a deep breath before stepping out of the small bathroom. 

“You look like the cat that ate the canary,” Rory told her from his seat. 

“Canary? More like an Albatross,” she deadpanned.

Rory's eyes widened in shock then he threw his head back and laughed. He got up and wrapped his arms around her, “You are wonderful.” He kissed her and it deepened immediately. His hands were back on her ass and his fingers curled under her skirt. They rubbed just below her cheeks and she shuddered. “You like that?” He said lowly.

“Move about a half inch and you'll feel it,” she groaned. 

A finger grazed between her legs, brushing her now soaked underwear. His teeth pulled on her bottom lip slightly, “Alice…”

She could barely talk, her mind was scattered ...she rubbed against his hand like a cat in heat. 

Before she knew it, she was on the bed looking up at him. 

Her skirt was pushed up and she reached for the side snaps to undo them. The skirt quickly disappeared from her body and was thrown over Rory’s shoulder. She felt his hands on the waistband of her panties, she nodded and they too quickly disappeared. He ran his hands down the outside of her legs to her feet. He lifted a leg and started kissing the arch of her foot. She bit her bottom lip to keep from moaning too loud, those kisses where shooting sparks straight to her core. Soon his mouth was on her ankle and she started squirming. He ran his tongue along her calf to her knee. “Are you alright, Alice?”

“I didn’t tease you nearly as much,” she huffed out.

He nipped the back of her knee and then leaned over her. He bent down and kissed just next to her hip bone. That move sent shivers down her spine. 

“Roooooory,” she tried to make it sound like a warning and it just came out as a weak groan.

That’s when his mouth went on her.

His hands were still under her ass and he lifted her just enough to tilt her hips. She didn't know what to think at that moment, her mind was reeling. His tongue was swirling one moment and then probing her with short laps the next. It was as if he was gauging her reaction to every different move. When she gasped at one point, she swore she felt him pause and smile. “R-r-r-right there,” she panted. A fire burned like a slow fuse throughout her body, gathering between her legs.  _ Just a little mo-  _ suddenly a wave of pleasure crashed into her so hard, she arched off the bed. Her chest was about to explode with excitement and she had to remind herself to breathe. That is when she noticed she had his head in a lock between her thighs. She started to giggle uncontrollably, “I'm so sorry...I…wow.” Her brain was scrambled and she felt like Jell-o.

“What a way to die,” Rory grinned at her. He had scooted up and his cheek was on her tummy. 

“That was mind blowing,” she smiled down at him and his grin widened. 

He scooted up more, planting kisses up the center of her chest. “Oh Alice, we are not nearly finished with the places I am taking you tonight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to my beta for the quick proofread!!!


	13. Lay All Your Love On Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, that's right! Short but to the point ;)

Rory sat as she lay on her back, trying to catch her breath.  She heard the thump of one boot and then the other. The sound of fabric sliding to the floor reached her ears and her stomach flipped with excitement. Within moments he was over her again, “Now, where was I?” He mouth latched onto a nipple and Alice sucked in a breath as her hands went to his head. She didn't want to hold him in place, so she caressed behind his ears. She tried not to squirm, but the pressure started curling through her. 

She arched her back and her hips lifted, seeking out friction. “You are driving me insane, Rory. What are you doing to me?”

“What am I doing to you? I can hardly think straight,” he replied lifting upon his forearms to hover above her. 

She lifted her head to kiss him and he enveloped her completely. She reached down between them and took his length into her hand. After a few lazy strokes, she brought him to her. 

He kissed just under her jaw line as he said, “Are you ready?”

“More than you know.” She guided him and he pushed forward. 

She let go and grasped his side as she opened her legs. She was so ready and his slow descent into her was an achingly prolonged pleasure. His hips met hers with a long groan from both of them. 

“Alice, oh you feel so good.” he moaned into her neck and he began to thrust gently.  

Her breath hitched as he pumped into her, she struggled momentarily to relax her hips and her legs opened more. After a beat she pulled her knees up so they were even with his shoulders. The change caused him to go even deeper and she gasped in surprise. “Holy fuck.”  She never felt this before, a fullness that was reaching a pleasure center within that she didn't even know she had.

“Are you alright?” the thrusts started to slow with concern.

“I am more than alright,” she panted “please, don't stop.”  She hooked her left knee over his shoulder as her right stayed bent. The slight angle sent a shudder through Rory and caused the heat in her belly to flare.  She had her head thrown back and she was starting to arch her neck. She decided to bring to chin down, she needed to look at him. 

Their eyes met and a new passion sparked within. She thrust her hips to match his movement. “Rory, my God. I'm going to -” she came so hard, the words got stuck in her throat and her mouth opened in a silent scream. Soon he buried himself deeply with a strangled cry. He held her to himself tightly and she threw her arms around his neck. Tears sprang to her eyes as she came down from her climax.  Emotions crashed through her... _oh God, I love him. I love him._ They held each for several moments and he lifted enough to press his forehead to hers, looking into her eyes. _Oh God, he_ _loves_ _me_. She used her thumbs to caress his cheeks and brush the tears from the corners of his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you ABBA for snapping me out of it.


	14. Twist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A perfect day doesn't end the way Alice expects.

The next morning, Alice woke up to the smell of food and swearing.

“Fuck sake! Stop rolling, you bastard!” 

Alice sat up and rubbed her eyes, “Who are you calling a bastard so early in the morning?” 

Rory turned at peered into the room, “Sausages.”

“Sausages?”

“Aye,” he turned again and Alice could still hear the muttering. 

She got up and tugged the large t-shirt down a bit and padded over to him to investigate. “Yup, those are sausages all right.” She held her hand out for the tongs Rory was holding. Once they were in her hand she angled the sausages in the pan, “there. They shouldn't be too hard to catch now.” She stifled a laugh and Rory turned to her, eyes narrowing. 

“You think you are so clever, your t-shirt is on backward.”

“YOUR t-shirt, you mean,” she laughed as she walked back to the bed. She picked up her fresh clothes and ducked into the bathroom to change. After she was finished she came out to see a set table and breakfast waiting for her. Her heart leaped,  _ my boyfriend made me breakfast _ .

She sat and smiled at him, he smiled back and her tummy did a flip.  _ I hope I always feel this way. _

“Do you work today?” He asked.

“Nope.”

“Spend the day with me?”

“You bet.” 

 

After eating and going to the marina for (separate!) showers, Alice was surprised when they ended up at a train station. “It’s a short trip north, I think you’ll enjoy where we are going,” Rory explained. They ended up going to Fairlie. They explored the Kelburn Castle grounds and walked through town, hand in hand. The afternoon was spent walking through Fenceby and having fresh seafood for dinner at the restaurant found there. It was a beautiful town and the park nearby was huge. Rory promised her when it got warm again, they would go hiking. Alice told him that she was going to hold him to it. As they were walking back to the train, Rory stopped and leaned against the wall of a building.

“What?” Alice looked up at him with concern.

“I know I tower over you, but I can see you looking up and staring at me.”

“Whaaaat?” she drew out, reddening.

“What’s up, Alice?”

Alice swallowed, feeling embarrassed, “you are so wonderful. It’s like a mirage. I keep looking to make sure you are really there.” Her vision blurred suddenly and she blinked the tears away.

“Are you crying?” Rory stepped close to her and gathered her to his chest.

“I’m happy! It’s just so surreal. I think I’m going to wake up, back in the U.S. - all of this a crazy dream - OW!” 

Rory laughed, “Nope, not a dream. Still here.” He rubbed the spot on her arm where he pinched her, “sorry.”

“You…..” Alice laughed and put her arms around him, she never wanted this to end.

The train was nearly empty for the trip back to Troon, Alice spent nearly all of it on Rory's lap and planting kisses to every part of his face. They were giggling like teenagers and she was in heaven. As they were walking towards the trawler, she invited him to sit with her on the deck sitting area. He agreed and she even managed to prepare a small pot of tea for the two of them.

They sat together quietly for a time watching the light on the water.

Alice felt Rory shift a bit before he started talking, “Alice, are you going to stay on this trawler?”

“No, once the season starts I’ll be moving out. This was temporary.”

“Where are you going?”

“Maybe back to Sarahs’s, maybe find a place of my own.” At that Rory jumped.

“A place of your own?  As in ‘buy’?” He stared at her, eyes wide.

“I don’t want to go back to Illinois,” she swallowed, “I want to stay here.”

“Here. Here Scotland? Or here Troon.”

“I haven't been anywhere else in Scotland really, right now Troon has everything, every ONE I want.”

Alice heard a shaky sigh, “Alice. Once the show finally wraps, I’m leaving.”  Her stomach twisted painfully as she turned to look at him.

“Leaving?”

“Leaving.”

Alice’s head spun and it became hard to breathe. He was going to move on, he was here now...but soon...soon he’ll be gone.  _ Oh, God.  _ She couldn't do this. She couldn’t have this conversation. Not after such a beautiful day. Not after such a wonderful night last night. Her stomach twisted again and she winced. “I'm not feeling well.”

“Alice?” Rory’s hand came up to tilt her head toward him.  

She couldn't look at him, she angled away and stood up, “I need to lie down. Please see yourself out.” She walked to the door leading to the rooms onboard. She cursed her cowardice with every step, but she couldn’t, just could  _ not _ bear to say another word. She walked to the door and went in without looking back.  Once she got to her room, she sat with her head in her hands until she finally heard footsteps and the main door of the trawler hatch close.  That was when she began to sob.

 

It was dark when she woke up.  She was still in her clothes, she didn’t even take her shoes off. She got up and switched on a small light. She sat again and started taking her shoes off to change for bed. She felt deflated, she rubbed her hands across her eyes and tried to stifle a sob that was bubbling in her throat.  _ Just go to bed, Alice. Deal with this shit in the morning.  _ She had decisions to make now, hard ones that she didn’t want to make.  She picked up her phone to check the time and saw two messages. She wanted to throw it but her finger pressed the closed envelope icon against her better judgment:

**“I don’t know what just happened, but we’ll be talking about this tomorrow Alice. I hope you feel better.”**  She snorted at that last line. Then she read his last message. **“I love you.”**


	15. Turn Turn Turn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can Alice turn things around, or did she make of total mess of things?

Alice was staring at the ceiling when her alarm went off. She barely slept a wink, her eyes felt swollen and her throat was dry. Her heart ached something fierce. She dragged herself from her room and made her way to the kitchenette, thankful she was alone. She didn't want to go to the restaurant one minute before her late afternoon start. Instant coffee and cold cereal were going to have to do for breakfast. She planned on pissing off into town after her shower until work. She was being a baby, she knew. But she had to think, think and be ready for what was going to happen next. The bridge of her nose stung. “Dammit Alice,” she whimpered.  After eating, she grabbed her shower basket. With a heavy sigh, she poked her head out of the door, not a soul in sight. She made a beeline to the building and ducked inside. After stripping down and stepping into the hot steam filled shower stall, she leaned against the wall and started to cry. As the water and tears washed over her, she was shocked that after the tears she shed last night she could still produce more. She couldn't do this, she was going to have to talk to him. Her heart was just going to keep breaking until the end was confirmed. She finished her shower and got ready in front of the large mirror. It was nice having this area all to herself for now. But once it got warmer she was going to lose her privacy. This was one thing she really wasn't going to miss, walking to another building to shower and get ready. Maybe she'll write this adventure down one day because it's been beyond amazing, the good and the bad. Once her hair was towel-dried and clipped up she gathered her items and put them in the bag for the walk back to her room. She thought all she had to do was dump the stuff off, grab her purse and walk to town. That way she could hide in plain sight while popping in and out of shops. The shower did make her feel better and she allowed herself to try to have a good day. She had to remember to grab a notebook also so she could write down the pros and cons of staying or leaving and her plans of what she was going to do now. There was a small coffee shop in town with comfy seating and it would be the perfect place to think about her future. With her day planned in her head, she left the bathhouse and started heading back. It wasn't until she was halfway down her dock that she noticed the large figure leaning against the trawler. “Fuuuck,” she groaned to herself. Of course, he would be there waiting, she all but kicked him out last night with barely an explanation. As she got closer, his eyes met hers and he smiled weakly.  _ He looks tired, did he sleep as poorly as I did?  _ She slowed a bit as she approached, “Good morning,” she said softly.

“Good morning,’ he repeated as he rubbed his face. She stopped when she was right next to him and looked up, his eyes had bags under them and the bridge of his nose was red. “Alice? We need to talk.”

“Not here, inside,” she opened the door and brought him into the small sitting area. She wasn't ready for this, but here he was. She sat in the chair opposite of him and stared at his knees.

“Alice I'm not good at this. Any of this. I'm not good at relationships. I'm not good at difficult discussions. I'm not good at serious discussions even if they're supposedly not difficult.  People think I'm a good talker from what they see on screen but those words were written for me. That's not me. I'm not the greatest at saying how I feel.” He rubbed his hand over his face again and Alice glanced up. He looked as miserable as she felt and her heart lightened a little. She nodded to him, encouraging him to go on. “I had plans. I had plans for months to leave this place. To get on my boat and sail. Perhaps find a coastal piece of land that had a place for a boat or two,” he laughed a bit “I love it here but damn woman, it's expensive.”  He sighed deeply and took her hand. “Then I meet you. You are the one thing that is making me want to stay.”

Alice jerked her head up and looked at him, “What are you saying?”

“I really don't know what I'm saying - that's the problem. I was going to tell you what my plans were and then you talked about buying a place. I panicked because frankly I don't know if I could leave you and I don't know if I'm enough for you to want to leave here.”

Alice's jaw dropped open, “Leave.  _ With _ you. As in move away...with you. With  _ you _ ?” 

A hand took hers, “Alice?”

She tried to squeeze his hand back, but her whole body felt weak. She swallowed. “Rory, I would go practically anywhere for you.”

And that he leaned back in the chair and let out a long breath, “I thought I blew it.”

She got up and crossed over to him and put her arms around his neck, “I thought the same thing.”

He kissed her and held her tight, “I meant that text, I love you.”

Alice nuzzled just under his jaw, “I love you too.”

 

The rest of the morning they spent sitting at a table excitedly looking at maps. They had some time to do research since the show didn't officially wrap for several more weeks. Alice insisted that he continued his plan to do his sail solo. If he stopped or saw an area he liked he would let her know and she would see if there were any properties in that area meeting his criteria. With enough notice, she would be able to take time off of work and go to see anything that caught his eye.  Alice insisted also that he find something that  _ he _ liked. She wanted him to move for  _ him _ , with no regrets. “We can't jump into this too fast,” she told him. 

“Perhaps not right away, but I'm definitely looking for a place big enough for two people.” Her heart soared at his proclamation. 

 

“Did you say you were alone here?” Rory asked as she was getting ready for work.

“For at least another week.” She answered.

“Good.” Soon Alice was knocked off her feet and her back landed on her bunk.  His large hands were making quick work of her black slacks as he nosed her blouse up to kiss her belly.  “This bed is so damn high, we are gonna have some fun.” At that, her pants and underpants disappeared. He quickly worked the button and fly of his own jeans and they, along with his boxers were pushed to the floor. 

“What are you planning on doing?” Alices breath started to quicken at the mischievous grin of the man that stood between her dangling legs. His hands went to her knees and he lifted them. They ran along her calves as he lifted so her legs were straight and her heels were at his collarbones.  Soon after, his hands were at her hips and she was pulled to the very edge of the bed. “Oh my God,” she gasped when she felt the heat of his cock at her entrance. He groaned as he pushed forward. She felt her eyes roll back at the sensation she felt. The captain's bed was the perfect height for him to stand, their hips moving together in the perfect dance.  It felt so good, she wasn't sure how long she could last, the coil of desire was already turning, threatening to snap in a sea of sparks. Then he turned and dipped his head to nibble on the arch of her foot. Her back arched, causing Rory’s thrusts to go deeper. “Holy shit…” she panted and she could actually hear the crackle of excitement giving away behind her eyes. A groan turned into a deep timbred moan as his hips rocked faster. That’s when she saw stars and her knees bent toward her chest and together to ride out a wave of pleasure so strong, she honestly didn’t know if she would breathe properly again. Hands grabbed her ass as he buried himself deep inside with a cry that made her wonder if he was in pain for a moment. He collapsed over her, gathering her to his chest. 

“I love you,” he panted.

“I love you more,” she breathed.  They repeated it several times until it sounded like tears of joy.

 

For the first time ever, Alice was late to work.


	16. Merrily We Sail Along

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Big changes are in store for Alice.

Alice sat in her chair by the window exhausted. Rory was coming home later and she couldn't wait, the show finally wrapped and last night was a huge party for the cast and crew. He wanted her to go, but she begged off knowing that there was going to be so much to be done in the next few days. For the past month-and-a-half she had barely any time to stop and rest. She had moved back into Sarah's once tourist season started to pick up. She agreed to help David greet visitors to the Trawler and show them around when he wasn't able to get there. She also cut back her hours waiting tables at Scotts and only did a few lunches a week.  Her hardest task was a few weeks ago when she went back home to pack and ready her townhome to be sold. She found that she didn't need to pack very many things and her sister agreed to have an estate sale for the other items. When the shipped items arrived, Alice put them in a small storage locker for whenever she moved to her permanent residence. She was hardly in the apartment that she rented. If Rory was at the marina - she was with him on the boat. She was learning the basics of how to operate and to maintain the yacht now and it still blew her mind that he did all of those tasks by himself for so long. She was far from an expert and she knew there was no way in hell she was ever going to sail that beast by herself. But Rory was already telling her that she'll have a 14-footer under control in no time once they moved.

The task of finding the perfect place was daunting at first, her phone would ping text notifications all day while she was at work every time Rory would explore sites. She all but begged him not to go too remote and he would laugh and say she was all he needed. Last week though, he actually called because he was so excited. Loch Leven had several sites with waters deep enough for the boat. One place, in particular, was remote enough to be alone and town was not too far by boat and an “invigorating walk” by foot. She laughed at that last description,  an invigorating walk for him was exhausting for her. Three of her short strides only matched one of his long ones, so their brisk walks ended up being a slow jog for her. The next day she made the 3-hour drive north in Rory’s barely used Land Rover. The two-bedroom home he found blew her mind, it was in move-in condition and the only thing they needed to do was expand the dock a bit to accommodate his boat. The seller was motivated and the closing was going to be quick. In 25 days, they were going to be homeowners.

The next day, back in Troon, she all but ran to the boat as Rory was tying her up.  The feeling of seeing him never got old.

“Welcome home,” she said, wrapping her arms around him. His lips were on hers within an instant. After a few moments, she broke away, “let’s get inside the deckhouse. I'm tired of holding my skirt down with one hand.”  She followed him to the room and pushed him into the captain's chair. “You tied her up good - right?”

He nodded, “Dropped anchor too.”

“Good,” Alice cooed as she worked on loosening his pants.  He stared at her and shifted slightly as she pushed his clothes down. His mouth dropped open when she straddled his lap.

“Holy hell woman, no underclothes?”

“I’ve been dying to ride you in here, time to bring her about,” she chuckled at her bad pun as she ground down onto him.  

He gripped her hips, “I’m so glad we are at the end of this dock.”  He began to thrust up as she pivoted against him. Alice was glad that the windows were closed when they started or else everyone at the marina would have heard them.  She could not wait to move.

The next morning, Alice woke up to an empty bed and the sound of voices on the deck. She rubbed her eyes and got up to make her way to the head.  She washed up and combed the knots out of her hair. As she brushed her teeth she was happily anticipating her day off with Rory. She loved the days after he got home, they usually meant hiking in the hills and her picking wild heather.  He laughed at her love of the flower, but she didn’t care. She just could not get enough of the smell. She heard him moving around in their quarters and then going back upstairs. She finished getting dressed and headed up to the deck where there was a cup of coffee waiting for her on the table.

“You spoil me,” she smiled as she took a sip.

“I love spoiling you,” he smiled back.

“Just you wait, I’m going to spoil the hell outta you.”

“If that includes not wearing underpants for spontaneous sex, I’m all for it.”

She laughed and contemplated jumping him right there in the open.  “So, who was here earlier?”

“The police.”

“The police?” Alice was puzzled.

“They came to finally return your claw keychain, it was released from evidence now that the idiot that attacked us was found guilty.”

Alice sighed, that night seemed so long ago - she nearly forgot about the keychain.  “I hardly doubt I’ll need that in the highlands, but where is it?”

Rory reached into his pocket, “Right here.”  He pulled it out and held it.

Alice put out her hand to take it when her eyes noticed the glint.  There on the chain was a ring with a single diamond catching the light.  Her hand flew to her mouth as she looked up at the man holding it. He sat stock still, biting his lower lip.  She practically crawled over the table to get at him screaming. “Yes!”


	17. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A love that lasts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading. <3

Alice stopped to pet Belle the goat as she made her way to the dock, “Don't eat my heather, Belle.” She turned to make sure that the fence she built to guard the tiny shoots held up. She turned to the other goat ambling toward her, “same for you Adam. I'll be back with Papa in a few hours.”  It was a beautiful day, warm for May. Rory was on his way home from a weekend of press and photoshoots for the 20th Anniversary of the premiere of Game of Thrones. Two weeks ago, Alice went with him to a red carpet event for a showing of the digital upgrade. She was overwhelmed. She did not expect the large crowd of people that lined the barriers. She was wearing a borrowed Vivienne Westwood and felt like a princess for the night, but after 15 minutes of flashing camera bulbs, she was done. She had attended smaller events through the years for the movies that Rory appeared in, but nothing was at this level.  He shifted his work to voiceovers and animated characters, though once in a while he could be enticed by a friend to appear on screen.

“Who wants to see an old man in his 60’s?”

“This old lady for one!”

“You see plenty of me, woman.”

She still loved looking at him, his beard was light gray - close to white, his eyes were framed with crow's feet that she could barely notice since he now wore glasses full time. His physical roles caught up with him and he now walked with a cane. Alice preferred to call it a walking stick and she loved it. In fact, she loved every piece of him. It seemed he still couldn’t get enough of her either. She had much more gray than she'd like to admit, but he didn't want her to color it. Her hands were sore almost all of the time now. She also could not lose that last stone, no matter how hard she tried. They stayed as active as possible. The hikes may be shorter and on flatter land, but they walked, (...and sailed ...and fucked) constantly. The goats kept them busier than they originally thought, but they loved the buggers. She made her way towards the water and hoped the timing would be right for today. She had a few errands to run before his car arrived. She needed to get food for dinner, whatever she made the day before was no good. Her stomach was upset since last night and if it didn't go away by the time she got to town, she was adding Pepto to the list. She also needed to get the mail and stop at the feed store to get grain for Belle and Adam so they would stay away from her flowers and garden. When she got to the shore she turned and looked up at their house. It hadn't changed much since they bought it all those years ago. A new roof perhaps and a replacement slat of wood here and there. Rory wanted to expand the front porch a few years ago. That was ridiculous, she argued, the whole front of the house to the water was a porch in her opinion. They had a favorite bench that they sat on and that was enough. She had planted her heather close by so she'd be able to smell it one day. Beyond their house near the back of the property they had built a small guest cabin. Luanne got married to a widower and ended up adopting his two young children. Auntie Alice's was a favorite summer vacation. Closer to the house was a shelter for Belle and Adam. Rory said she spoiled them, even though she really didn't remember telling him that their pen should be a goat mansion. The most improvements were done to the waterfront. They had two large boat docks. He still had his massive sailing yacht in which they continued to explore the coast of Scotland. One summer they even went to Norway, Alice was thrilled. She could not bear to have him sell the boat she affectionately called “Q”, she learned to sail her and took her sister and family out on day trips when they visited. There were also two 14 foot dinghies that they called “His” and 'Hers”. Hers had a bright pink sail, much to Rory's chagrin, but she knew if she didn't mark it as her own, it would get sucked into his fleet. She walked past them to the end of that dock and tossed her purse into the small rowboat with the outboard motor. Rory rolled his eyes everytime she used it, but hell if she was rigging her dinghy alone to end up tacking her ass off just to get to town. There was barely a breeze today. She promised him she would row as much as she physically could before firing up the motor, and she was a woman of her word. She settled down on her padded seat and grabbed the oars. Her stomach turned a little as she started. “Damn eggs. I hope I don't hurl on my way,” she grumbled. After a few more lengths, Alice had a stitch in her side. “Fuck sake. I'm out of shape.” She pulled the oars in and went to pull start the motor. That's when the sharp pain shot through her side, it literally took her breath away. She blinked the tears that sprung up away and grabbed the tiller as she opened the motor up to nearly full throttle. Something told her to get to town as quickly as possible, the pain was not going away and her panic was making her dizzy. She made a beeline for the dock with the most people on it. She pulled up and made to tie her boat to the cleat when another wave of pain hit. She ended up falling forward on the deck. The pain was unbearable, her vision blurred and she couldn't talk. Just before she passed out she heard a woman screaming her name.

She heard a slam and felt a hard pinch on her arm, “The IV is in. I think it's her appendix.”

“Hit the lights and tell the driver to radio Dispatch that we are bringing Alice McCann in.” She wanted to tell them Rory was on his way home, he'd be waiting for her...but the fog in her mind was so strong, she couldn't make anything work. What the hell was happening? She slipped back into darkness.

There was a swirl of lights and a sound of waves, it was so peaceful. Alice knew something wasn't right though, she was so hot! She struggled to get through the blind maze she was in. She heard the slow beeping first, then a voice. _His_ voice, his beautiful voice cracking with emotion as he repeated her name over and over. She screamed that she was here...but all she heard was the beeps and his voice. She felt the lightness again and all she could hear was his voice by that point, no beeps. The fog lifted a bit and she blinked several times, but it wasn't right. She was over Rory's shoulder while he had his head on her bed. The lightness continued and Alice struggled to speak, “I love you! I love you! I'll always love you!” The scream was loud and echoing in the stillness surrounding her, could he even hear it?

Just before her world went black she heard him cry out, “I love you too.”

 

Years later, it was said if you sailed quietly enough by the large patch of wild heather by the shore and didn't startle the goats affectionately called the McCann herd, you could see them. If you looked at the bench where their ashes were spread among the flowers you would see two forms snuggled together, watching the lights on the water.

~ _fin_ ~

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alice's song for Rory: https://youtu.be/aF7V2dSvxpo


End file.
